Mail carrier



G. SPENCER Feb. 15, 1938.

MAIL CARRIER Filed Feb. 6, I95? 4 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor opvewaew Attorneys I G. SPENCER MAIL CARRIER Feb, E5, 1%.

Filled Feb e, 1957 4 Sheets-Shet 2 Inventor A iiorneys G SPENCER Feb. 15, W38.

MAIL CARRIER 4 Sheets-Shed 5 Filed Feb. 6, 1937 A fiorneus Feb. 1,

G. SPENCER MAIL CARRIER 2, i UA53 Filed Feb. 6, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Feb. 15 1938 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFlCE 2,108,453 MAIL CARRIER Guy spencer, Heyworth, Ill. Application Earth 6, 1937, Serial :No. 124.491

' "1 Claim. (01. 104- 177) a This invention relates to new and, useful improvements in conveyors and more particularly .to means for conveying mail from the roadway Where it is leftbyzthe mailman, to the house, whichmaybe set back some distance from the roadway, this being especially true in rural dis- The principal object of the invention is1topro vide. a mail conveyor of the=character stated which can be easily controlled for transporting mail from the point of depositby the mailman to the house without any inconvenience. and in a rapid and fool-proof manner.

Still another important object-of the invention is to provide a mail conveyor of the character lstated 'which is substantially automatic in operration.

These and various other important objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following specification.

In the drawings:-- 7

Figure '1 represents a side elevational view of the apparatus.

t Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 without the cable.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1. I V

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the trackway.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective of one end of the trackway.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the pulley and mount at the roadway end of the conveyor.

showing one of the enlargements thereon.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure "7.

Figure 9 is an enlarged side elevational view of the mail receptacle.

Figure 10 is a sectional view on the line [0-40 of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is an enlarged edge elevational view of one of the pulleys.

Figure 12 is a top plan view of the drive means and control therefor.

Figure 13 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 12 with a portion broken away.

Figure 14 is a perspective of the cable operated arm.

Figure 15 is a sectional View on the line [5-45 of Figure 12. 7

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerroadway post 8.

support or bracket 9 has the drive means gen- Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the cable als designate like parts, it can be seen that the conveyor is intended to be placed between a roadway which may be indicated at 5 in Figure 1, and a house or other building 6 remotelysituated with respect to the roadway 5. I

The construction of the conveyor involves a plurality of suitably spaced posts I and the At the building 5 a suitable erally referred toby 'numeral l 0 mounted thereon and this includes apulley ll onthe driven shaft IE2. As is. shown in Figures land 6, the post 8 has the elongated plate i3 secured to the top thereof and into this plate I3 can be driven the threaded studs or screws 14, these studs or screws passing through the slot I5 01 the shank iii of the yoke I? in which the pulley I8 is mounted. Obviously, by loosening and tighten- .ing these studs or screws Hi the shank Hi can be adjusted on the plate l3 for regulating the tautness of the cable I!) which is trained over the pulleys ll-l8.

It will be observed in Figure 11 that each of the pulleys is provided with an anti-slipping cover 20, preferably of rubber, so that the ovateshaped enlargements 2l22 on the cable l9 can easily pass thereover. These enlargements 2 l-22 are at substantially diametrically opposite points on the cable.

Numeral 23 generally refers to the mail receptacle which is an elongated rectangular-shaped box 24 open at each end and provided with a hinged closure 25 at each end adapted to be held in closed position by suitable spring latch means 26. Obviously, the mailman uses one of these closures in gaining access to the box 24,

while the person receiving the mail uses the other closure in gaining access to the box for retrieving the mail.

A U-shaped member 2'! is secured to the top of the box 24 and has eyes at the upper ends of its leg portions denoted by numeral 28 to which the ends of the cable are secured as at 29.

A pair of strap members 30-30 extend upwardly from each side of the box 24 and converge over the box and then further extend upwardly as at 3!. Each of these portions Si is equipped with a roller wheel 32 for riding engagement on the horizontal flanges 33 of the inverted T-beam 34. (See Figure 4.)

As shown in Figure 2, each post I has a U- shaped framework 35 secured by its end portions to the posts as at 36.

Inside of the frame 35 is the small square frame 31 an upstanding shank 38 of which is secured as at 39 to the upper leg of the frame 35, while the depending shank 40 has the straps aa thereof spread apart as at b to straddle the upstanding flange of the beam 34 where it is secured as at 42 to the beam, thus suspending the beam in a substantially horizontal position as shown in Figure 1. The mail receptacle 23 is supported on the thus supported track as suggested in Figure 2.

The drive means consists of the box-like structure 44 through the end portions of which the driven shaft I2 is journaled.

Upon the platform 9 is mounted the electric motor 45 the armature shaft 46 of which is connectible with the driven shaft 12 by the clutch generally referred to by numeral 41. This clutch 41 is provided with the collar 48 with whichthe yoke 49 is engaged; this yoke depending from the slide bar 50 which is slidable through the guides 5I5! on the box 44.

A horizontal rockable arm 52 is pivotally mounted on the post 53 and has a laterally disposed portion 54 at one end to avoid the pulley II. This lateral portion 54 is provided with the slotted finger 55 through which the cable I9 extends.

The remaining end of the arm 52 is provided with the cam 55 abutting against the plate 5'! on the adjacent end of the slide bar 50.

Switches 5859 are provided on the dielectric panel 60 and these have the arms (SI-62, respectively, rising therefrom and in the path of the arm 52. These switches 5859 are for the motor 45 which is reversely wound so that as the enlargement 2! or 22 strikes the portion 55 of the arm 52, for operating one of the switches to start the motor and connect the clutch 41, while in its reverse movement the cam 56 releases the plate 5! to disconnect the clutch and open the motor circuit simultaneously.

Thus the box 23 is stopped automatically at the end of the trackway 24.

It can be seen in Figures 2 and 3 that guide means is provided for the cable, guide rollers 63 for the upper flight of the cable, while an elongated roller 64 is mounted on the lower leg of each frame 35 for guiding the lower flight of the cable l9.

, While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:-

An article carrier of the character described comprising an endless cable, drive means for said cable, spaced pulleys over which the cable is trained, supporting means for said pulleys, a post, a trackway supported by the post, a receptacle attached to the cable and mounted for longitudinal movement on the trackway, a frame-like structure on the post through which the receptacle is movable, said frame-like structure being provided with a depending portion supporting the trackway, said depending portion provided with a loop-like structure, said loop-like structure serving as a guide for one flight of the cable, and anti-frictional means in the said looplike structure for said cable.

GUY SPENCER. 

